A yummy weeknight pasta sauce comes together quickly with an easy mix of pantry items and fresh produce, pairing perfectly with your favorite stuffed pasta.
This Tomato & Spinach Sauce was born on a cold Midwest January weeknight (it was 6 degrees out, with a -10 windchill) when we had no dinner plans and only some odds and ends on hand. After taking a quick inventory of the kitchen, I pulled out a box of frozen grain free spinach and cheese ravioli and was able to pull together a satisfying, hearty sauce, making good use of some leftover tomato paste to lend a deeper tomato flavor to the sauce and cream cheese to add some creamy comfort as well as a container of spinach that had been sitting in the fridge for several days just waiting for it’s moment. Don’t worry, you won’t get the tang of the cream cheese, it’s just enough to add a little lushness. And while Tomato & Spinach Sauce with stuffed pasta is delicious as a vegetarian dinner, it’d be beautiful with some sliced Italian sausage mixed in. If you use Cappello’s 9.9 oz box of grain free ravioli, you’ll have some sauce left on hand for another use.
Tomato & Spinach Sauce
Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon avocado or extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
26.46 oz (750g) box strained tomatoes (I like Pomi for its thick, smooth texture)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (for me, its 25 grinds)
2 oz cream cheese, separated into several pieces
5 oz fresh baby spinach
Plus:
12 ounces stuffed pasta of your choice, cooked per package directions (I like Cappello’s grain-free frozen ravioli, you’ll be left with some extra sauce if you use their 9.9 oz box)
How to make Tomato & Spinach Sauce
Heat oil in a straight sided 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until they become soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute until very fragrant. Stir in tomato paste until completely combined and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in strained tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a quick boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Gently stir in cream cheese until completely melted in, about 3 minutes. Mix in spinach a few handfuls at a time until lightly wilted. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Toss cooked pasta in sauce and serve.
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